Arab Antisemitism

Similar motifs in antisemitic Nazi propaganda and Arab anti-Israel propaganda

Attempt of a Definition, Conspiracy Theories, Antisemitic Caricatures and TV-Series, Comparisons with the “Stuermer“, and more...

The enemy is the West – the Christian world, and their driving force are the Jews. The Jews are not only symbolically, but seriously defined as monkeys and pigs: The language of Islamic extremism is clear and distinct – Descartes would say “claire et distincte“ – genocidal. It can be read in black and white that there is a striving for a repetition of the mass murder of the Jews.

The different forms and types of this kind of antisemitism, how it expresses and spreads itself…

Antisemitic Caricatures from the “Stuermer“ in comparison to today’s’ ARAB media

- Age-old antisemitic clichés, stereotypes and prejudices, which are identical to those found during the Nazi-period, are distributed all over the world via the different forms of media (TV, radio, print media), as well as through official sermons, via satellite and, of course via the internet.

- Conspiracy theories of blooddrinking, children-murdering, media- and USA-controlling Jews are distributed in the same way as theories about 9/11, Iraq, the death of Moellemann and other incidents.

- The right of existence of the State of Israel is not accepted. Jews are compared to Nazis and are portrayed as aggressors.

- Jews are portrayed as worms, spiders, octopuses, ravens, wolves, and terrorists who want to poison the world, dominate it respectively. The fictitious “Protocols of the Elders of Zion“ are presented as fact. “Mein Kampf“ is a bestseller in Arab countries.

A “Jewish Spider“ has caught Germans

in its web and “sucks them out“.

Title: “The sucked-out ones“.

(Der Stuermer, February 1930)

“Jewish Ravens“ judge a “German Lamb“ which is tied up and will be killed probably (with the axe next to it).Text: “A victim of the Jewdiciary“.(Postcard, beginning of 20th century, Vienna

Lamb “which is tied up and will be killed probably (with the axe next to it) Text: “A victim of the Jewdiciary) “.Postcard, beginning of 20th century, Vienna)

A “Jewish Spider“ runs around a Kafieh

(Palestinian headscarf) which looks like

a web. (Palestinian Al - Hayat Al-

Jadida, Oct. 2001)

“Jewish Ravens“ rip into a dead dove of

peace and eat it. (omayya.com)

Examples of antisemitic and problematic cartoons in the Arab media

Antisemitic Caricatures from the “Stuermer“ in comparison to today’s’ ARAB media

A wolf which has eyes in the form of the

Star of David and is labeled “Culture

Bolshevism” devours a sheep. Title:

“Philosophy of the Wolf“

Text: “Rebbich, a sheep always only

knows what happens when it is

devoured.“ (Der Stuermer, 1943)

A “Jewish Octopus“ holds the world in a

clasp and attaches itself to it.

(antisemitic cartoon by Josef Plank,

around 1938)

A “Jewish Worm“ eats its way

through an apple labeled as the

“German Economy“. Text: “When

something is rotten the Jew is behind

it.“ (Der Stuermer, November 1931)

Saudi Arabia

(Al-Riyadh, September 2001)

A “Jewish Octopus” attacks a dove of

peace and clasps it. (Palestinian Al-

Hayat Al-Jadida, April 2000)

Israel and the USA eat through an

apple (labeled as the “Arab World“).

Israel starts off with its own land

[claimed by the PA], the USA with Iraq.

Text: “Be strong-we’ve got a lot of work

to do.” (Palestinian Al-Hayat Al-Jadida,

October 2003)

Israel is portrayed as wolf which creeps

greedily on the new PA government for

devouring it. (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida,

October 2003)

A “Jewish Scorpion” attacks the world

with an American missile labeled as

“Weapons of Mass Destruction”.

(Saudi Arabia, Al-Riyadh, Dec. 2003)

Saudi Arabia, Al-Riyadh,

September 2001

omayya.com, 2000-2004

Syria, Tishrin, April 30, 2000

omayya.com, 2000-2004

“Jewish Proxy World Rule“

Communism (“Bolshevism”) oppresses

the world and shows its

“real Jewish face”.

Text: “Bolshevism without a mask”

(Nazi propaganda cartoon, German

Propaganda Archiv)

The US oppresses the world by proxy for

the Jews. (Stars and Stripes are

transformed into a fork which is

grasped by a “Jewish Hand” and pierces

the world.) Bahrain

Arab News, May 5, 2002

Syria, Tishrin, May 19, 2002

“Jewish Press Control“

Jews control the press.

Title: “A Scene from

the ‘Good Old Days.'“

Text: “The freedom of the press.”

Apparently this depicts the situation

before 1933, when the Nazis claimed

the Jews controlled the German press.

(Brennessel, January 1934)

A Jew is writing behind the back,

secretly respectively, the speech of

George W. Bush (Palestinian Al-Hayat

Al-Jadida, July 26, 2003)

"Jewish Poison"

Text: “Englands Ties./The malicious jew

has the british laboratory rabbit tied

up.” (Der Stuermer, 1943)

“Jewish Terror“

A menacing looking orthodox Jew is

holding a gun and a knife.

Title: “Jewish Terror”

(Der Voelkische Beobachter, 1944

A menacing looking orthodox Jew is

holding a rifle. The big Arabic letters

which include the Star of David mean:

“Terror”. On the forearm there are

written the words: “The Assassination

Policy.“ (Qatar, Al-Watan, June 2003)

Qatar, Al-Watan, July 27, 2002

omayya.com, 2000-2004

A Jew is filling the “World Media“ up with

his poison/lies.

(Syrian Al-Ahram, May 29, 2002)

Arab Conspiracy Theories

Increasingly, some of the antisemitic Caricatures from today’s ARAB media are not very different from some of the depictions found in today’s WESTERN media .

The Protocols

of the Elders of Zion

The cover of an Egyptian edition

of the Protocols, 1986

Blood Libel

At the time the old fairytale, according which Jews use blood of Christian children to bake their Mazzot (breadfor Passover), is widespread first of all in the Arab world (in form of cartoons and movies). There it’s said that Jews are also greedy for Arab blood. This statement often goes in context with Israel’s prime minister Ariel Sharon who is portrayed as Dracula many times.

Sharon opens his mouth wide for eating a Palestinian child. The additional

images around him may be meant to emphasize Sharon’s alleged violent

character. Text: “What’s wrong… You never seen a politician kissing babies

before? / Vote Likud…” (The Independent, Dave Brown, January 2003)

First prize-winner of the Cartoon of the Year in the UK

Blood libel and conspiracy theories like the “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion“ are anti-Semitic fairytales, which have found a “Renaissance“ in the Arab world. The “Protocols“ were writen at the beginning of the 20th century by the Russian tsar’s intelligence service, with the explicit intention of flaming up of anti-Semitism. Today, we find the root idea of this fictious story - the idea of Jews plotting to take over the world - spreading more and more, especially in the Arab world. In many Arab countries various elements of the “Protocols“, and other anti-Semitic fairytales, have been turned into TVseries, which are broadcasted on official State televison throughout these countries (and throughout the rest of the world via satellite TV). Arab “scientists“ often present the “Protocols“ as fact, which serve as a pseudo-explanation for all Jewish “wrong-doing“, again, the underlying assumption being that there is a Jewish plot to manipulate

and take over the world.

September 11th

One of the most famous conspiracy theories concerning the Al-Qaida-attacks in the USA on September, 11th accuses Israel (Mossad) or the Jews to have caused those attacks or to have – intentionally – not prevented them, just for gaining more “control“ of the world by this “excuse“.

The claim is, that “4.000 Jews“ supposedly did not go to work in the Twin Towers on that day. Those rumours were spread quickly (within hours after the attack), first over the Internet and later on TV. The rumours even spread in educated and sophisticated circles – first of all in the Arab world, where they were purposely spread by governments and religious leaders, and later in neo-nazi circles in Europe and America. The spreading of this theory goes on and can at times even be found in mainstream society. Background of September 11th this theory is once again the age-old anti-Semitic imagination of the “evil Jews“ trying to take control of the world.

(More) Arab Conspiracy Theories ... which have partly found their way into our society...

TV SERIE: „Knight Without a Horse“

Episode 9: “….Our problem is the “goyim,“the Gentiles, the non-Jews….

Dr. Edward, her husband, smuggled the book from Russia to Egypt. [Heb.] What a disaster! What a disaster! It’s a disaster! But how can it be? Our people in Russia informed us that all the copies of the book [in Heb] “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion“ were collected from the market.….

But the fear is that if the book is published here in Egypt, many more problems will be caused for us than in Russia, and perhaps this will thwart our plans. …“

Episode 18: “…The racist Zionist movement is a movement that set up a plan a long time ago, even before the birth [of Jesus] - a Zionist invasion of the

countries of the world by peaceful means….“

Episode 41: A great victory! A great victory!

My friends, I am going to tell you the great tidings before Elijah, Aaron, and Simon arrive. [Heb.] At this moment! At this moment, the headquarters of the Association for Struggle Against Zionism were blown up, so that the Palestinians and Egyptians will expunge the word “resistance“ from their dictionary!.

Anyone who obstructs our goals denies us life… We must deny their lives!

The imagination of the “Jewish control” of America is very widespread in the Arab world. It finds expression first of all in countless cartoons and drawings in the Arab press. America and Israel are either fraternized with each other in subjugating and destroying the (Arab) world. Or “the Jews” use the United States as a puppet for oppressing mankind.

But also in other parts of the world people believe that there exists an almighty and hostile “Jewish lobby” in the USA – first of all in context with Israel. The basic motif “Amercia controlled by Jews” turns up also in other conspiracy theories, e. g. in those ones of the initiated Holocaust, of September, 11th, and of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”. Here often the motif is put in context with anti-Americanism.

Bahrain, Akhbar Al Khaleej,

August 22, 2003

Denial of the Holocaust

The denial of the Holocaust has become a widespread conspiracy theory. Its principal message is that the Holocaust never happened, but was invented and in a conspiratorial manner propagated by “the Jews” for getting material benefits and moral advantages. The denial of the Holocaust is a version of the classic antisemitic conspiracy theory which states that “the Jews” manipulate and threatenthe worldfor their benefit. Often the representatives of this theory pretend to be scientists. In many cases they justify their "research” by stating they search in a fair and sober way for the “truth”.

The denial of the Holocaust exists in neonazi groups and individuals in Europe and America, and is especially

widespread in the Arab world.

Arab Antisemitisms in its worst form

Comparisons made in the Arab media between Israel and Nazi Germany

Portrayal of Israeli PM Ariel Sharon as equal to Hitler, with bloody

hands walking over skeletons.

(Al-Gumhuriya, Egypt, December 2001)

Not just Sharon, nearly every Israeli PM has been compared to Nazi

Germany. (Clockwise: Then PM Shamir 1992 in the Egyptian press, Rabin

1993 in the Jordanian press, Peres 1996 in the Egyptian press and Barak

2002 in the Egyptian press)

Israel and Jews are frequently

compared to Nazis. Saudi press, 2002 Egyptian press

Qatar, Al-Watan, March 3, 2002

Egypt, Al Ahali, December 12, 2000

Jews portrayed as opressors

hiding behind the Holocaust

Keyhan, December 17, 2001

On the other hand, Arab cartoons often leave no doubt about their hope for a new Holocaust directed against Jews. (Interestingly, the very same media usually accuses Jews of perpetrating a “new Holocaust” against the Palestinians.) These cartoons are far more blatant than the Stümer -caricatures from Nazi times.

“The theme of the ‘grave’ is a graphic reflection of the claim made bye Dr. Yihye al-Rahawi in Al-Ahrar (July 19, 1982), a daily published by the Egyptian Liberal Party:

‘When the State of Israel was established and granted recognition by many, in both East and West, one of the reasons for such recognition was the latent desire of many in both the East and the West to rid themselves of as many representatives as possible of that mistake of humanity called ‘the Jews’. Behind that motive was another, secret one:

to concentrate them in one place, so that they could be extirpated when the moment was right.

In this conflict, we cannot help but see before us the image of that great man, Hitler, may Allah have mercy upon him, the wisest of men, who confronted this problem… and he,

out of compassion for the plight of man, tried to annihilate every Jew, but gave up trying to cure this cancerous growth that spread throughout humankind.’”

The other side of Arab antisemitism:

A meeting of His’ballah (private picture)

An Arabic translation of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf is, among other Arab distributors, being distributed by Al-Shurouq, a Ramallah based book distributor, to East Jerusalem and territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA).

According to Agence France Presse (Sept. 8), the book, previously banned by Israel, has been allowed by the PA and is 6th on the Palestinian best-seller list. Bisan publishers in Lebanon first published this edition in 1963 and again in 1995. The book costs about $10.

Similarly, insane ideas of Jewish jail-cells and of heroic uprisings against "the Jews" are virtually identical to those pictured in propaganda material from Nazi-Germany

A Palestinian boy, only armed

with a key, stands alone against

the overpowering Israel.

Al Hayat Jadida,

March 15, 2000

The "Stuermer"

stands alone against

„the many Jews“, with

his sword called „truth“.

omayya.com, 2002

A German in a “jewish prison“.

Der Stuermer, June 1943

...and, unfortunately, this is the way how Arab propaganda find its way into the Western Media and the thoughts of the average citizen.

“... Respect for the victims of the Holocaust prohibited for us to use the same criteria on the Israel governments as we did with other Western governments. Therefore, political or economic sanctions against Israel were taboo. But the Holocaust, which legitimized the Jewish state’s existence for all times, was a German and European crime; and the Palestinians, who are suffering its consequences today, are not responsible for it. We tolerated the Israeli settlement and occupation policy and let the Palestinians pay the price. That caused the hatred to grow in the Arab and Muslim world and hit us back on September 11th, 2001 and March 11th, 2004…”

Israel accussed of a “New Holocaust” against the Palestinians in the Western Media

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is shown as exactly the

same as the Israeli military operations in Jenin. Text:

“History has a strange way of repeating itself!” (Le

Monde, France, May 2002)

The entrance to a ‘Palestinian Auschwitz’.

Text: “Welcome to Palestine”

(Latuff, a Brazilian caricaturist, 2002)

Demands on governments, media and every concerned citizen:

- Antisemitism has to be condemned, no matter in which way it is expressed.

- Silence or appeasement cannot be a solution: Governments have to take a clear stand against the distribution of antisemitic TV-series, etc. One should be able to take the condemnation of hateful broadcasts, such as the TV series “Horsemen without Horse”, for granted.

- Be active in the fight against prejudices. Be active in informing citizens about true facts.

- Be active in stopping the distribution of antisemitic material, even if this means censoring websites, TV-programs, satellite broadcasts, media or religious sermons. Punishment for the distribution of anti-Semitic material is a must. Educational measures are an absolute necessity.

- C mmunication with moderate and enlightened groups has to be supported actively.

- Diligent monitoring is an absolute necessity for the implementation countermeasures.

- Organizations and groups which spread anti-Semitic thoughts and ideas, should be banned.

Compilation by: Honestly-Concerned – a group of concerned individuals willing to stand up for fair and unbiased media reporting, especially about the Middle-East conflict, and who are fighting hard against anti-Semitic rhetoric. For more information, please see http://www.honestly-concerned.org!